The state government has brought out a circular with a compiled list of guidelines issued by the state and central governments to be followed during the lockdown. Violating the directives will be punishable under the Disaster Management Act and IPC, said the circular.
Seven central government departments/establishments and 12 state government establishments have been exempted from lockdown. In addition, officials working with 21 state departments/services including farming and drinking water supply have been exempted from lockdown.
The circular also mentions about the commercial and private establishments that can operate in addition to transport services exempted from lockdown. Other restrictions including not allowing more than 20 people for funerals and ban on public gatherings including religious, political, social, cultural and academic meetings. All individuals who reached the country after February 15 should undergo quarantine.
Central government offices exempted from shut down:
1. Defence and Armed Forces
2. Pay and Accounts Office, Economic Advisors, Officers of C&AG (with minimum staff)
3. Petroleum, CNG, LPG, PNG, power generation and distribution centres, post offices.
4. Disaster management and weather forecast units
5. National Informatics Centre
6. Customs Clearance, GSTN, MICA 21 registry systems in Ports, Airports and land borders.
7. Reserve Bank, economic institutions under RBI, NPCI, CCIL, payment system operators (with minimum staff)
State government offices exempted from shut down:
1. Police, Home Guard, Civil Defence, Fire and Rescue Service, Disaster Management, Prisons
2. District Administration, Treasury
3. Electricity, Drinking water, sanitation
4. Sanitation and drinking water distribution under local bodies
5. Office of the Resident Commissioner, New Delhi
6. Forest Department offices, zoo, nurseries, wildlife sanctuaries, forest fire-prevention, plantations, irrigation, patrolling etc
7. Social Justice Department, institutions for children, differently-abled, senior citizens and women, observation homes, pension office.
8. Activities relating to the procurement of Agri produce and fixing of Minimum support price
9. Procurement and distribution institutions under the Agriculture department.
Travel facilities for those working in institutions in the public and private sectors engaged in the manufacturing and distribution of items related hospitals and veterinary hospitals - dispensaries, chemists, pharmacies (including Jan Oushadhi Kendras), establishments selling medical equipment, laboratories, clinics, nursing homes, pharmaceutical research labs, ambulance, medical, hospital and health sectors are among those who are exempted.
Institutions excluded from lockdown:
Ration shops, Consumerfed shops, Supplyco outlets, shops selling fruits, vegetables and other food items, milk, milk products, fish, meat, cattle feed, fertiliser, seeds and pesticides are allowed. They can be open between 7 am and 5 pm and home delivery be encouraged.
Also allowed are banks, insurance organisations, ATMs, IT establishments helping banks, banking correspondent, ATM-related agencies, print and electronic media.
Telecommunications, internet services, broadcasting, cable service, IT services are allowed. Work from home be encouraged.
Allowed establishments include petrol pumps, LPG outelts, establishments involved in power generation and distribution, SEBI-notified capital and debt market services, cold storage, warehousing services, private security services, data and call centres working for the government, farmers, agricultural labourers, shops selling farm equipment, truck repair workshops on national highways, establishments in fishing and aquaculture, two-wheeler repair workshops.
The following industrial institutions are exempted from lockdown:
* The units which manufacture essential commodities including medicines, pharmaceutical, medical equipment and its raw materials
* The distribution of coal, explosives and others using for mining purpose
* The units which produce components carrying food, medicines, pharmaceutical products
* The distribution and package units which produce seeds, fertilisers, pesticides
* Plantations including tea can function with a maximum of 50 per cent of workers
* Cardomom, Coffee, Cashew, Palmoil and cloves plantations can also function with limited workers
* The factories which produce rubber and surgical gloves, rubber plantations
* The workers will get one year period for procuring clay for clay making units.
* Beedi making units can function on Monday and Tuesday with a minimum number of workers
* Kerala Minerals and Metals Limited, Chavara
* Indian Rare Earth Limited, Chavara
* Travancore Titanium Products Ltd, Kochuveli
* Travancore Cements Ltd, Kottayam
* Malabar Cements Ltdm Palakkad
* Travancore Cochin Chemicals Limited, Kalamasserry
* All these units can function only after obtaining prior permission from the government
Services - Exempted
* Distribution of essential services
* Police, Fire force, ambulance
* Air, rail and port services to transport essential goods and the related institutions and agencies
* Inter-state transport of goods for export and domestic distribution
* Inter-state distribution of Petroleum products, LPG, Food products, medical devices.
* Inter-state transportation of harvest machines and others for agriculture purposes
* Travel arrangements of foreign nationals who stranded in the state ( On the basis of the directive of the Centre)